Hove man jailed for series of sexual assaults

A Hove man has been jailed after admitting sexually assaulting multiple women in public spaces.

Fattah Derrahi, 59, a British national of Farm Road in Hove, was charged with 11 counts of sexual assault against 11 women over a four-year period 

Between September, 2021, and October, 2025, Derrahi primarily targeted women who were exercising or post-exercise, often engaging them in conversation by complimenting their ‘energy’.

Derrahi would engineer physical situations including helping the women stretch, dance or conduct breathing exercises, before sexually assaulting them.

Many of the sexual assaults took place along the seafront, particularly around the Hove Lawns area.

Derrahi was arrested in November, 2025, subsequently charged with multiple counts of sexual assault and remanded in custody.

Appearing at a pre-trial preparatory hearing at Lewes Crown Court on Monday, 15 December, Derrahi admitted nine charges. He later admitted a further two charges relating to incidents in 2021.

At the same court on Friday (27 March), he was sentenced to six years in prison.

Detective Inspector Jenny Pietersen said: “Brighton and Hove is a safer place now that Fattah Derrahi has been brought to justice.

“I want to extend my gratitude to the brave women who came forward and reported Mr Derrahi for his heinous behaviour. Today we received justice for those involved and all women using open spaces in our communities. 

“We remain committed to improving our service to women and girls in Sussex, working with our partners to prevent crime in the first place, provide support to victims and catch perpetrators.”

If you are a victim of sexual offending in Sussex, we and our partners will do all we can to support you. There are a range of independent partner services, including:

• Survivors Network: providing emotional and practical support.
• Life Centre: trauma-informed therapy and counselling services.
• Mankind: dedicated support for male victim-survivors delivered by men.
• Veritas Justice: independent support for victims of stalking

Find out more about the free support available to victim-survivors of crime on the Safe Space Sussex website.